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The first season follows three rigs — Longhorn, Viking, and Big Dog—that have only 50 days to successfully locate and retrieve the crude oil. The roughnecks, as they are called on the rig, endure exhausting and dangerous work demands. Oil rigs Longhorn and Viking are funded by wildcatter Mike Lamonica while the Big Dog is funded by wildcatter Autry Stephens, both of whom have put up millions of dollars in hopes of finding new deposits of oil. The show also features pipe salesman Michael “Rooster” McConaughey, brother of actor Matthew McConaughey.

The second season (premiered August 8, 2009) only follows one rig, Big Dog rig number 28, owned by Autry Stephens. The season is centered around the requirement given by Stephens to finish four wells in 50 days in order to maintain the lease on the land. One notable returning character is Gerald Williams, who was fired in the previous season.